Prologue

Eyelids heavy. Dark and murky. Like a dream.

Fingers brushing my hair. Warmth on the back of my head. My mouth opens but there was a whisper—enigmatic but tender.

"Shhh no words merely rest… there, there…"

Nearing steps and creaking metal

"Bring it here."

More creaking

"Why do this—?"

Voice high pitched. More words but the fingers in my hair continue.

"—Thedas' –good –mostly for hers."

Words turning murky.

"You—kill her?"

No

"Mmm… well…"

NO!

Silence and then an amused chuckle

"Apparently not."

Chapter 1

My watch reads 6:30 am. I know I'm supposed to be somewhere at this time but can't remember where. Instead I'm behind a shrub with some kid, hiding from a group of cosplayers trying to kill each other.

They're very convincing and the red liquid in my shoe doesn't smell like paint and has a different consistency with food coloring.

However my attention remains on the quivering boy. I cover his ears with ear buds so the screams won't get to him like it did to me. Move his head in my shoulder to muffle the heavy breathing. He saved my life when he woke me just before the fight broke out. I'm determined to return the favour.

The noises eventually stop and we don't look. Neither of us move long after they are gone.

Monty is 8, son of a farmer

"Nice to meet you, messere." The title made me uneasy so I ask him to call me by name. "Yes, serah Ray."

My name's been changed to Serah and the second syllable of my actual name has been dropped. I don't mind and didn't correct him. So what if they don't know my real name.

He spoke of how he found me passed out in the forest while his eyes try to decide where to settle between my eyeglasses, knapsack and the bicycle at my side. Apparently, a bike is worth a lot more attention than the bloody skirmish earlier. Something inside me twists at the thought that it wasn't the first time he's seen it happen.

He spoke of his rescue as we walk while my eyes search for anything familiar. "So, I've never seen you before. Where are you from, miss?"

I answer and he looked confused but nod anyway. I adjust my ball cap to shield my eyes and wipe my photochromic glasses that has turned dark from sunlight. The kid stares hard and I try not to be creeped out. "Where is this place anyway?"

"The Hinterlands."

"Oh…" I nod slowly. I had no idea there was such a place but something about the name seemed familiar so I let it slide. First thing's first though and I pull out my phone. No signal. Figures. "Do you know where I can get a signal in here?"

"A signal? Signal what?"

I sigh, frustrated. "Look, I'm lost and I would like to call someone but I can't use my-" We made it to the valley and the first thing I notice was the huge tint of green in the sky. "…phone."

Okay, calm down, there must be some aurora borealis shit going on right here because that looks unnatural. Science can explain it but that's my worst subject and weirder things have happened, right? Nothing unusual here. I jump at the small tap at my side. "Serah Ray? I'm afraid I don't understand but I think you can ask the older ones for directions."

I look from the sky and then to him and then back. He moved ahead without even giving the green thing a second glance, as if it was normal. There was no way he did not notice that thing up there. "Er- kid? What's that?"

He blinked owlishly "You don't know? Well it did just opened up recently. Mama and papa call it the Breach." He grins stupidly like any child his age "Funny name: Breeches. They say it releases demons and stuff and-"

I know I'm supposed to listen carefully about such things but the rest of his words fell on deaf ears. Because I didn't have to listen. I do know where I am, what happened and more importantly, what will happen. I drop my bike and land on a particularly thick tree root with my face in my hands, letting the boy rattle on as I slowly come to the realization of how fucked I am.


After a bit of insistence from my part and gaining a good distance from the dangerous areas of the forest, we sat under the shade of a tree, my things laid bare and Monty's hands resist (but failing) not to touch everything.

A pair of jeans, shorts, two shirts, a hoody, notebook, water tumbler…

I hear a click, followed by another and just when the boy seemed to get the hang of it, I seize the retractable pen. "Hey!"

"It's not a toy." I search for a distraction when the boy continued reaching for it. My free hand found its way to a Doublemint "You like candy?"

That did the trick.

"S' weird, bi' sticky bu' yummy."

"Just chew but don't swallow the sticky stuff." I sneakily turn my phone off from the boy, unsure of what his reaction would be like from synthetic light. No use wasting my batteries when I couldn't even contact anybody.

"Wha' not?"

"Else, it would stay in your tum tums in the next seven years."

Alarmed, he spit the stuff out on his palm and studied the spit covered gum closely. "Are you sure this is safe?"

I glower at him and he popped it back up, shutting up. Nobody gets to taste a piece of my home and spit it out. He's unknowingly chewing on a candy worth at least a sovereign. By giving it to the right manufacturers, I can make some cash if gum hasn't been discovered. Cash. Shit.

Hinterlands. The currency is gold, silver and bronze but am I on Orlais or Ferelden? I can't remember but one thing's for sure. "I'm broke."

Monty snorted "If you're broke then I don' wanna hear what I am."

"No really. I've got mone- er- coin but it's not the one you use."

"Different currency? As long as it's gold, silver or bronze then it's fine but we can only give you Sovereign, Silver or Bit though."

"No, I'm not from… around here. From where I'm from we use paper and… nickel, I think."

"Paper? How does that even work? In here, we've got different names but the coins all pretty much have the same value." He mulled. I know my stuff can cost a lot when used right but I can't trust myself with money especially with how little I know about Thedas' workings. I won't know what I would do if 'Ferelden' doesn't contains the same words as the English language.

It was a plot that came right out of a dream, a storybook, a shitty fanfiction and I am in it. I know I was supposed to go somewhere so something must've happened on my way. Flemeth most likely. The intent is clear though, that I need to help the Inquisition like any good interdimensional character. But should I? And how the hell am I supposed to help Thedas when I couldn't even take care of my basic needs? I remove my glasses and massage the space between my brows. I need to start somewhere. "Monty."

He was stretching it now, pulling the gum apart but paused. "Mm?"

"Where can I get a job around here?"


Monty's parents thanked me feverishly for 'returning' their son to them. The moment we found them searching and calling his name, the boy visibly tensed. It was apparently his second nature to wander off even with mages, templars and demons about. The kid then pointed out that I'm searching for a job with nowhere to go(it has become a normal case after what happened to the Conclave) so then, as thanks, his dad sent me on another house which to my surprise, ended up being….

"Here we are." Dennet gestured to the stables. He rubbed his chin, trying hard not to be weirded out by my strange appearance and possessions. I looked relatively normal without the cap and would've removed the eyeglasses as well but not without worsening my already growing headache. Astigmatism's a bitch. "There's a privy at the back for farmhands and you can wash up at a nearby river." His chest puffed just the slightest bit and his tone turned gruff "I'll put Bron in charge of you. Make sure you wake up real early in the morning because you'll be helping my wife with the crops and then Seanna with the horses-"

He rambled on and I let him. In short, I help with whatever that needs helping. "So, uh as for your sleeping arrangements…" His eyes shifted to the nearby barn.

"It's fine, sir. A barn is a whole lot better than what I had and it would be a convenient place to watch the animals during the night."

"Well, if you say so." He scratched the back of his head. "It just doesn't feel right, y'know? You're so young and letting you do all this is-"

"I'm 19, sir."

"19!" His eyes widened like saucers. "You look like a minor!"

"I get that a lot, sir." Asians are like that even a halfy like me. Wait, do Thedas even have Asians? What's our equivalent then? Elves? Mm whatever. "Regardless of my age or appearance, you've given and trusted me so much with this that I'll definitely work hard. You can count on me, Master Dennet."